Not To Be
by exploding-penguins
Summary: When a peaceful resolution between the Uchiha and Konoha cannot be reached, Itachi is forced to kill his clan; including the woman who loves him. He can only hope to make Izumi's last moments count. Based on the Itachi Shinden novels.


**Hello, everyone! Oh gosh, it's been forever since I've published anything. This oneshot is based off of the novels that have recently been released about Itachi. The events in the novels aren't exactly canon, but Kishimoto did illustrate them. Based on the summaries and what we know, I really fell in love with the relationship between Izumi and Itachi. Here is my spin on Izumi's final moments. I hope you enjoy!**

 **I don't own Naruto.**

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It was just past dinnertime when Izumi heard a quiet but firm knock at her door. A pretty smile immediately graced the young girls' features as she sensed a familiar chakra signature. For a moment, she had an internal freak out. This was so sudden! She certainly hadn't expected Itachi to show up out of the blue, not that she was complaining. What if she looked like a hot mess? Untying her apron and tossing it aside, she quickly made her way to the living room mirror. She examined herself thoroughly, making sure that there was nothing in her teeth and that she looked presentable. Deciding she shouldn't keep Itachi waiting any longer, she ran her fingers through her long hair and smoothed out her clothes, before going to answer the door.

"Itachi-kun! What brings you- Wait, are you okay?"

The smile that previously graced her features disappeared as she took in the object of her affections appearance. Itachi was in full ANBU gear, katana and all. She hadn't been aware that he'd been assigned to a mission. What was even weirder was the fact that he'd stopped by to see her before leaving. The raven haired man quietly stepped into her apartment and removed his mask, donning a carefully controlled and blank expression. However, Izumi had known Itachi for a long time. She studied him carefully, looking into his eyes. She saw pain in those onyx orbs of his, and her chest constricted painfully. Something was terribly wrong.

Shutting her door and taking a calming breath, Izumi offered what she hoped was a comforting smile. "I can tell something is wrong, Itachi-kun. Talk to me," she said.

He stood there for a few moments, still as a statue. Inwardly, two parts of himself were at war with one another. He had a mission to carry out. Tonight was the night that the Uchiha clan, except for his precious younger brother, were to be exterminated. Why did his father and his fellow clansmen have to be so damn foolish? As he gazed into Izumi's innocent and hopeful eyes, he was almost tempted to take her and Sasuke and run some place far away. Nobody had to die tonight. He could take his brother and his best friend, or whatever she was to him, and escape. They could be happy together, the village and the clan be damned.

' _You know that can never happen,'_ Itachi thought bitterly.

The ANBU captain had decided to begin his onslaught with Izumi, the woman whom he was well aware harbored deep feelings for him. She was so sweet and innocent, completely unfit for shinobi life. Yet she felt that she had something to prove, and insisted on continuing to push herself. As twisted as it sounded even in his own mind, he had to kill her first to spare her. If nothing else, he wanted her last moments in the world to be painless and for her to never be traumatized. He almost released a bitter laugh, disgusted with himself.

' _Trying to protect her while killing her, how noble.'_

Truthfully, Itachi wanted to tell her everything. He knew he could tell her anything and she would never judge him, she would simply understand. Unfortunately for both of them, their fate was sealed. He knew that he couldn't put things off any longer, and he activated his Sharingan, his expression blank.

"There's nothing to talk about," he said coldly, his voice wavering ever so slightly.

Izumi's eyes widened in alarm as realization washed over her like a tidal wave. She thought back to the hushed conversations that Itachi and Shisui had when they thought she was out of earshot. Had things truly gotten that bad? Had communications between the village and the Uchiha broken down that much? She took a shaky breath, more out of shock than fear.

"You're… here to kill me, aren't you?" she asked calmly, no hint of accusation in her tone.

Itachi swallowed thickly, trying to maintain his composure. "I don't expect you to understand, and I'm sorry."

Tears stung at the back of her eyes, and she cursed herself for being so weak. She knew that there was no way she could fight him. Even if she could, she wouldn't. It was clear even to civilians that there had been tension between the village and the Uchiha for years. The optimistic side of her always believed that things would be resolved peacefully. As she took in Itachi's pained expression that he was so desperately trying to hide, she found that she couldn't be angry with him if she tried. She'd known him for years, and knew that he despised the shinobi lifestyle and only wished for peace. If he was standing in front of her like this to take her out, she knew he had his reasons. Her heart broke for him as she realized the pain and suffering he would endure for the rest of his days.

Izumi released a breath she wasn't aware she'd been holding, and bravely looked into Itachi's eyes. "I know that you wouldn't be doing this if it wasn't your last resort. I… I want you to know that I'm not angry with you. And that I love you," she whispered, unable to stop the tears from falling.

Upon hearing her confession, Itachi closed his eyes as the weight of her words washed over him. Of course he'd known that she loved him. It was obvious in the way that she looked at him when she thought he wasn't looking, and in her actions. Why she loved him, he had no idea. Yes, he was a skilled shinobi. However, he could never be what she needed. Izumi deserved someone who would fawn over her and treat her like a queen. He was a trained killing machine, and faced death and destruction on a daily basis. She was simply too sweet and kind to live that kind of life.

Itachi realized that he wished he could be that man for her. The girl standing in front of him had wormed her way into his heart, and now he was seconds away from killing her.

"I know," was all that Itachi said before opening his eyes and unleashing his Tsukuyomi upon her.

 _Izumi looked around the grand ballroom and quickly realized that she was in an illusion. However, this genjutsu felt so real, so unlike anything she'd experienced before. She gasped as she felt a warm hand grasp her own, and she turned to find Itachi standing beside her with a gentle smile on his face. He was dressed in a tuxedo, and he looked as handsome as ever. She glanced down and discovered she was wearing a beautiful strapless white dress in a Cinderella style with intricate beading. Izumi felt tears well up in her eyes upon realizing that this was her wedding, and nearly fainted as Itachi leaned in close to her and whispered 'I love you' in her ear._

 _Suddenly she found herself in a huge room with a lovely view of the ocean. The room had an indoor Jacuzzi bath and rose petals leading up to the most comfortable looking king sized bed she had ever laid eyes upon._

' _Is this my honeymoon?' Izumi thought with a blush._

 _Her question was quickly answered as Itachi embraced her from behind. He leaned down and peppered soft kisses along her neck, and she shivered at the contact. She knew this was just a powerful illusion, but she never wanted it to end. She would embrace it for as long as she could. Turning in his arms and wrapping her arms around his neck, Izumi caught his lips in a fiery kiss. He backed her up toward the bed and made quick work of removing their clothing, his lips never leaving hers. He overwhelmed her senses and she began to feel dizzy with desire. Just how long had she been dreaming of this moment? She'd dreamt of giving herself to him for longer than she'd like to admit. For a moment, she almost forgot it was an illusion. As he caressed every inch of her skin and brought her to euphoria, she let all thoughts and worries leave her mind._

 _Time suddenly moved forward, and Izumi found herself sitting on a familiar park bench. It didn't take her long to realize that she was sitting in the park that her and Itachi played at as children. Scanning the park for any sign of Itachi, she gasped as she took in the sight before her. The raven haired man was holding a little girl in his arms, spinning her around as she squealed happily. A little boy that appeared to be a couple of years older than the girl spotted Izumi, and ran towards her with a smile on his face._

' _Mama, come play with us!'_

 _Izumi couldn't stop the tears of joy from falling._

 _Once again time moved forward, and she found herself sitting in a rocking chair on a front porch, a cup of tea in hand. Glancing next to her, she found an elderly Itachi right by her side. She gave him a smile, which he returned, and they talked about their lives and their grandchildren. She knew that she was witnessing what were to be her final moments, and she couldn't have been more content. Growing old and passing on beside Itachi would be the perfect ending to her story._

As the Tsukuyomi ended and Izumi came back to reality, she immediately collapsed into Itachi's arms. He lowered them to the floor and he held her as she tried to catch her breath, completely overwhelmed by the illusion. It had felt like she lived her entire life, but only a split second had passed. Her body was far too weak to withstand the effects of the Tsukuyomi, and she knew she had only moments left.

As she grew weaker, Izumi glanced up at Itachi who was looking down at her with a remorseful expression. "Don't you… give me that look…" she said with a weak smile.

"I'm so sorry," he whispered, internally cursing himself and his clan for allowing things to come to this.

"Don't be… Thank you for letting me… live the life I wanted with you. Even if it was just… an illusion," she replied, having difficulty speaking. Things were starting to get hazy.

"And thank you for loving me, Izumi," Itachi murmured.

He didn't know what came over him when he leaned down and pressed his lips to hers. Maybe it was the overwhelming guilt he was feeling, or maybe he was fulfilling a desire he'd subconsciously had for a long time. Izumi smiled softly against his lips, before taking her last breath and falling limp in his arms. As Itachi pulled away and stared at the broken woman, a lone tear rolled down his cheek.

Gently laying her down on the floor before standing up, he wiped his eyes and put his ANBU mask back in place.

He had a mission to fulfill.

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 **I had so much fun writing this! I truly hope you enjoyed this, and it feels nice to be writing again. If you follow my stories, expect an update to 'Truth or Dare' soon! If you enjoyed this story, please leave a review and save this to your favorites!**


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